


Captain No More

by Fan_FictionGirl1



Category: Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And a Softer Man, Captain No More AU, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Where Silver is not a Pirate, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27999561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fan_FictionGirl1/pseuds/Fan_FictionGirl1
Summary: What if Silver was no longer a pirate?
Relationships: Amelia/Delbert Doppler, Jim Hawkins & John Silver
Comments: 22
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!! It’s Dork here! :D Welcome to my second Treasure Planet fic! This time, this one has an actual consistent timeline and plot lol
> 
> I got this AU idea in the middle of the night one day, and after having many many thoughts about it and envisioning scenes, as well as plenty of wonderful encouragement from my friends, I decided to write it in a fic!! I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Comments are always welcome, I would love to know your thoughts!!

The teenager's blue eyes glared at the Ursid before him, hard distrust and tension bubbling from inside him, and he could almost feel it leaking out. He glanced at the outstretched hand one more, raising a skeptical brow at the cold, robotic parts. Silver had retracted the sharp and more dangerous materials to a makeshift hand, but Jim still refused to take it. His memory flickered back to the warning, the fading eyes watching his very soul in a gruff, almost pleading way. Jim could still feel the ghost of his dying breath by his ear, whispering desperately and choking on fear. The teen had one person to look out for, he knew. The metal of the robotic parts glinted in his eyes for a moment, dangerously, threateningly. Jim's gaze went up again, his frown set and his position firm. He would not say it outright, but it was clear he was on his guard and didn't trust this one. 

This _cyborg._

Silver kept his cyborg hand out for another awkward, extended second, watching the boy standing stiffly in front of him. For a moment, there was a hint of confusion gleaming in his organic eye. His yellow, cyborg eye whirred and clicked for the breifest of seconds, as if closing in around Jim. It made him uneasy, and for a split second, Jim was worried that the cook was seeing right through him. Before he could come to any conclusion, Silver gave him a tight lipped smile, his cyborg arm retreating back to his side. Jim felt a small sigh of relief threaten to escape him and he swallowed it as he watched the cyborg turn and walk towards a counter. 

"Ah, now, don't be too put of by this hunk o' hardware," Silver said casually as he shrugged his shoulders. His robotic arm twisted and clanked about, his hand disappearing and a large pair of scissors taking it's place. He reached up and pulled on several dangling planktonics that hung from a cupboard above. With one clean snip, he cut them from their hanging place and quickly and smoothly laid them out across the counter. He shot a smile at Jim and chuckled as his cyborg hand switched again, into a contraption that cut them open and shot the necessary sections into a pa beside him. He then reached over and pulled a few vegetables from farther along the counter in front of him. Masterfully, he pulled a knife from his arm and began chopping them into thick, clean pieces and flung them into the pan. A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eye even as he cut calmly.

"Woah!" Silver exclaimed suddenly, pulling back his knife. His organic hand seemed to have disappeared, and Jim couldn't help but gasp a little bit. Then Silver chuckled again, a playfully look falling over his face as his hand reappeared out of his sleeve. The cyborg looked at Jim specifically as he waggled his fingers about with a smile. "These gears have been tough getting used to," he started, three little, claw like grabbers appearing from his robotic arm and clicking a bit, "but they do come in mighty _handy_ from time to time." He grabbed a few eggs from the counter, tossing them behind his back and catching them with the little grabbers. 

Jim had to admit, he was slightly entranced with the entire cooking sequence that Silver performed, in a nearly teasing manner. He watched with an interested sparkle in his eye as the grabbers skillfully broke the eggs open, while Silver used his organic hand to grab the pan handle. The contents of the eggs slid into the pan as he held it up, humming to himself as he worked, a smile never leaving his face. He turned towards the pot that was bubbling over a furnace behind him, holding the pan high as he began to walk towards it. The grabbers disappeared and suddenly a flame exploded from his robotic arm. Silver continued humming and softly singing to himself as he let go of the pan handle. Jim watched in awe as the pan stayed upright, the rush of fire keeping it up, while speed cooking the contents inside. The flame suddenly shut off, and quickly his cyborg hand returned and flipped the pan around, pouring the contents into the stew brewing in the pot. It all happened in a matter of mere seconds, but every movement and step was precise and fluid, leaving Jim in wonder despite himself. 

Silver put the pan to the side while grabbing a large spoon from beside the pot and dipping it into the stew. He pulled it out and sipped at the stew, giving it a taste test, and hummed in satisfaction. He turned and gave the trio behind him a grin, before quickly taking two bowls and pouring stew into them. "Here, now," he said, crossing the room and handing the two bowls to Dr. Doppler and Jim. "'Ave a taste of me famous bonzabeast stew."

Jim held the bowl reluctantly in his hands, the warmth heating the palms of his hands. He eyed it skeptically, and he could see Delbert hesitate as well. He scowled a little towards the old family friend, shrugging his shoulders at him unsurely. Delbert gave him a similar look of hesitation, and the two of them almost simultaneously looked back at the first officer behind them. 

Mr. Arrow's stoic, stiff features softened a little bit into a smile, raising a rocky brow at them. "I assure you, gentlemen, Mr. Silver's dish is most exquisite," he told them, dipping his head a little and gesturing for them to try it. 

Silver gave him a grateful chuckle and proudly placed his hands on his hips. "Ye would know, wouldn't ye, Mr. Arrow? Been one of yer favorites since my voyages with ye," he said, jabbing a finger at him in a mock accusing way. 

The officer chuckled and bowed lightly. "Guilty as charged, my friend," he replied coolly, his features relaxed and in a small way delighted.

Jim glanced back and forth between the two of them as Delbert shrugged and carefully sniffed the food. He was slightly confused with the interaction; it was as if the two were old friends, and had known each other for some time. The thought caught Jim a little off-guard and made him down himself for a moment. If Silver was the cyborg pirate he had been warned to avoid, how come he was comfortable, even friendly, with people Jim knew were strict and law-abiders?

"Mmm!" Delbert exclaimed excitedly, distracting Jim from his thoughts. He looked up from the bonzabeast stew, which he had evidently just tried, with a look of surprise and enjoyment. "Delightfully tangy, yet, robust," he complimented, lingering doubt dying in his eyes. 

"Old family recipe," Silver replied with a grin. 

His eyes danced over to Jim for a moment, and his grin turned into a small smirk. He winked, stepping closer to Dr. Doppler. Jim blinked in confusion, watching curiously and cautiously. Delbert was about to take another sip of the stew, when something bubbled to the surface, making him pause. He yelped in shock and fear as an eyeball stared back at him, his own eyes dilating as his expression turned to one of horror. Silver, calmly and flippantly, walked to his side. 

"In fact," he began, placing a hand on his shoulder as Delbert shivered in disgust, "that was part of the old family!" he guffawed, in an obvious joking manner. 

He burst into laughter at his own humor, leaning back a little and holding his stomach. Delbert was obviously unamused by the joke, and looked a little awkward. The doctor cast a pleading look at Jim, almost silently begging him to get him out of the situation. Jim merely shrugged, only lightly enjoying the joke, but mostly because it made the family friend squirm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Arrow even laugh a little, silently and mannerly. Jim found himself smiling a little bit as Silver's laugh died down a little bit as he took the eyeball from Delbert's bowl. 

“I’m just kiddin, Doc,” he chuckled, tossing it into his mouth and swallowing it. He grinned as Delbert nodded and chuckled awkwardly, then leaned closer to Jim and elbowed him. “I’m nothin if I ain’t a kidder!” he said with a wink. 

Jim flinched a little, frowning deeper and looking down at the stew again with uncertainty. He tensed when Silver took his shoulder, sliding around him to his other side from behind. “Go on, Jimbo, have a swig!” he urged, his organic hand resting under his and pushing the bowl upward. He shot the teenager another grin before letting go and walking away, to start another task most likely.

Jim let out a forced breath through his nose, lifting a spoonful of the stew out of the bowl. He raised an eyebrow at it, still skeptical despite Delbert’s compliments on it. He was about to hesitantly raise it to his mouth, when a small vibration in his hand made him pause. 

He gasped as the spoon suddenly _moved_ , the dip turning into a little mouth and swallowing the stew. The tip turned pink and the metal spoon then turned into a jelly like substance, big eyes appearing and blinking at him. Jim let go of what apparently wasn’t a spoon in surprise, jumping back a little as the little creature smiled at him and morphed into a floating pink blob. It panted cheerfully, a little makeshift tail wagging at him curiously. 

“Morph!” Silver exclaimed, turning around as ‘Morph’ suddenly transformed into a straw, sucking up all the contents in Jim’s bowl. “You jiggle-headed blob of mischief, so that’s where you was hiding!” The cyborg placed his hands on his hips and raised a stern eyebrow at the creature, but his jovial smile never left his face. 

The only reply he got from Morph, however, was a loud burp and a string of silly chirps. It looked up, it’s eyes suddenly sparking interest at Jim. It laughed and chirped incoherently and shot up into the air, brushing up against the teen’s face unexpectedly. 

“Wha-what is that thing?!” Jim said in utter confusion, shrinking back from Morph’s touch and giving the blob a strange look. He reached up, palm out, to tap the little thing, growing curious.

“What is that thing?” it sprouted back, the voice higher pitched and copy cat like. Jim jumped a little as he tapped him, surprised. Morph chattered and suddenly it’s body burst into several bubble-like spheres in the air. 

“He’s.. a morph,” Silver answered, shrugging as if he almost didn’t know himself. He watched with a smile as Morph copied Jim and became a mini version of the teen, perching on his finger. “I rescued the little shapeshifter on Proteus 1.”

Jim studied the critter curiously, his hesitation slowly fading away in fascination. He grinned as Morph shifted back and jumped off his finger, bumping Jim’s face again with a small lick and happy chirps. Jim watched as he flitted over to Silver, circling him a few times happily. 

_He was like a little pet,_ Jim observed. 

“Aww, took a shine ta me,” Silver said sweetly as Morph began cuddling up against his cheek, reaching up and stroking him with his hand. “We’ve been together ever since,” he cooed, closing his eyes and continuing to stroke his pet as Morph made happy and comforted little noises.

After a few moments of the two of them sharing an embrace, that even Jim had to admit was rather sweet, Morph suddenly chirped and zipped away from his master. Silver didn’t seem to mind at all, and was smiling as his pet flew over to Mr. Arrow. The rocky crew member smiled politely and calmly, raising one hand for the blob to perch on. 

“Hello, little one,” he said with a light chuckle, obviously fond of Morph. 

The creature squealed happily and playful, his little pink form twisting and turning until he had turned into a smaller version of Mr. Arrow. He chirped and saluted jokingly, before morphing back to his normal self, and nudging the first officer’s hand. 

Mr. Arrow’s eyes cast upwards as two deep bell rings alerted him, and he gently lifted his hand to signify for Morph to glide off. “We’re about to get underway,” he said, returning to his stoic, polite tone. “Would you like to observe the launch, Doctor?” He bowed slightly, gesturing to the stairs with a small grin, eyebrow raised quizzically. 

“Would I?” Delbert exclaimed excitedly. “Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?” He grinned, waiting for someone to laugh or get the supposed joke, but after a moment of awkward silence he cleared his throat. “I’ll follow you,” he said, pointing ahead and beginning to walk towards the deck. 

Jim rolled his eyes and shoved his hands back in his coat pockets. He cast one more glance over at the cyborg, a suspicious frown setting in again, but Silver had his back to him as he began to get another spoon for himself. However, before he even took two steps, he bumped into Mr. Arrow’s large fist. He looked up in confusion, flinching slightly at the stern look he received.

“Mr. Hawkins will stay here,” he said, his voice raised as he looked back to the Ursid, “in your charge, Mr. Silver.”

Silver, who had been sipping some of the stew from his spoon, choked a little, swallowing and coughing a little and looking up in surprise. He looked from Mr. Arrow to Jim, back and forth, before giving the first officer a look.

“Well, it seems I have me own cabin boy, eh?” he said light heartedly after a moment, glancing down at Jim with a teasing smile. 

Jim grit his teeth in horror, turning and raising his arms at Mr. Arrow, opening his mouth to protest. 

“Captain’s orders!” Arrow said before Jim could utter a word. He began to turn around, before turning back again sharply. “See to it that the new cabin boy is _kept busy,_ he said firmly, giving a stern look to Jim before turning to exit.

Jim, in a frustrated panic, looked to Delbert, who had stopped on the stairs to wait for the first officer. He gave him a look, silently asking him to vouch or him, or do anything to get him out of there. His friend only shrugged and smiled apologetically, shaking his head as he followed Mr. Arrow out. Jim groaned and deflated, rubbing his eyes in frustration and defeat. 

Silver watched him for a moment, the smile faltering a little when Jim glanced up at him. He could obviously tell that he was frustrated and uncomfortable about this. Confusion flashed in his eyes for a moment before his grin returned again, more teasingly as he straightened himself and put his hands behind his back. 

“So,” he said, almost playfully, as he walked around the boy, “Cap’n’s out you with me, eh?” He pursed his lips and leaned towards Jim, waiting for a reply. 

The teen sighed and shrugged his shoulders, eyes half open. “Whatever,” he replied, feigning unconcern. 

Silver’s grin returned, and he shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to another counter. “Eeeeeh,” he said casually, holding it out. “Who be a humble cyborg to argue with a Cap’n? ‘Specially Cap’n Amelia!” he added with a chuckle as he rolled up his sleeve with his cyborg hand and grabbed a fruit. 

“Yeah,” Jim said slowly, rubbing his face as he eyed Silver. He glanced away, something familiar catching his eye. He stared at the fruits in a barrel in front of him, a plan forming in his mind. If Silver was the cyborg he had to watch out for, he had to be sure. “You know,” he said after a pause, grabbing a purp and tossing it back and forth between his hands. “These purps look a lot like the ones back home.”

“Oh, really?” Silver said, his good ear perking up in interest. He glanced back at Jim in curiosity, and Jim wasn’t sure to take his reaction.

“Yeah, on Montressor,” he said, dipping his head towards him as he began walking around the kitchen. He purposely let his suspicion leak into his voice, probing the cyborg in hopes to get a more definite clue. “You ever been there?”

Silver’s smile disappeared for a second, making Jim almost grin in triumph. However, he realized that Silver looked bewildered, not shocked. Eventually, the cyborg shrugged, tossing a fruit into his hand skillfully and beginning to dice it with a tool. “Can’t say that I ‘ave, Jimbo,” he replied evenly. 

The teen paused, hesitant, but determined to go on. “Come to think of it,” he said as he took a bite of the purp and pushed himself up onto the counter behind him, sitting forward. “Just before I left I met this old guy, who was, um, looking for this cyborg _buddy_ of his.” He raised an eyebrow, hoping to get a better reaction for Silver. 

“Is that so?” The cyborg replied distractedly, his focus now on his work. He turned his head back for a moment, his cyborg eye whirring and clicking softly.

“Yeah,” Jim probed, getting more frustrated with the lack of convincing answers. “What was that old salamanders name?” he said, pretending to think back while he touched his head. “Oh, yeah. Bones,” he said, raising his eyes and watching Silver dubiously. “Billy Bones?”

“Bones?” Silver repeated, his eyes glancing away as he thought for a moment. He repeated the name a few times, in the meantime grabbing a cloth and putting it over his organic hand. He looked lost in thought and slightly confused as he poured a giant pot of hot water into a large bowl. “Mm-mm, t’ain’t ringin any bells,” he said, shaking his head as he grabbed the bowl’s handles and picked it up. “Must have been a different cyborg,” he offered, sounding like he was trying to be helpful. 

“What?” Jim asked, caught off-guard by his ignorance. Did this cyborg really not know what he was getting at?

Silver dropped the bowl of hot water down on the counter next to Jim, flinging away the hot water that splashed on his hand. “There’s a slew o’ cyborgs, roamin this port,” he said, gesturing a thumb outwards with a smile. 

The teen stared at him curiously for a moment, studying him. Silver seemed to being very genuine. By the look on his face, he was puzzled by Jim’s hesitance and distrust. Jim sighed, realizing he was getting nowhere. Maybe this wasn’t the right cyborg after all. Still, he would stay on guard, just in case. 

“Never mind, then,” he muttered with a shrug, looking away. 

Silver paused, blinking. He looked like he was about to say something, leaning forward, when a whistle blew above them, and they heard Mr. Arrow shouting above them. He smiled brightly, turning back to Jim and putting a hand on his back. “Aye, off with ye, lad, and watch the launch,” he told him kindly, gently pushing him off the counter. “It’s quite a sight ta behold, it tis.” He gave him a reassuring wink and smirk. 

Jim stumbled a little bit as the Ursid shoved him off the couch, though it wasn’t gruffly. He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and began to walk off, putting his hands in his pockets and turning.

“There’ll be plenty o’ work awaitin for ya afterwards,” Silver called after him, grabbing a bottle from a cupboard above him. He began pouring its contents into the bowl, humming to himself again. 

Jim paused for a moment, glancing back at his new ‘boss’. For the most part, he seemed fairly likable, even ti Jim. His mind flashed back to the horrid memory of Bones dying at his lap, the terrified turtle gasping a plea of warning to the boy with his final breath. He shuddered, the heat of flames flickering through the Inn, his home, and almost felt the rush of adrenaline from fleeing from certain death. From _pirates_. Billy had seemed so certain, so terrified of what was coming, and if Jim had to guess, it was what had killed him, too. And conveniently, now there was a cyborg on the ship headed for Treasure Planet. It seemed to unlikely to be a coincidence. And yet, as Jim watched Silver sing quietly to himself as he cooked, he found himself doubting that this was the enemy he was suppose to be avoiding. This cyborg seemed to have no idea what Jim was implying at all, and if he did, he was _very_ good and pretending. With another sigh and a shrug to himself, Jim turned and walked up in deck, putting those thoughts away for now. 

Silver turned and watched him for for a moment, raising a brow and pursing his lips. He shook his head and laughed a little to himself as Jim disappeared from view. The noise caught his pet’s attention, Morph perking up and flirting over to his side. 

The cook pulled a cracker from his pocket and handed it to Morph, who chirped excitedly and began biting it evenly. “He’s a strange one, isn’t ‘e?” he chuckled as he stroked the little guy. “Wonder what has him do on edge, eh?” He glanced back up for a moment, pondering to himself, before shrugging and turning back to his cooking. 

He could figure it out later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jim: *suspicious of Silver*
> 
> Silver: *visible confusion*


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has already given me such great feedback for this work!! I am glad you are all excited as I am for this AU story.

"Of course he had to ruin the mood," Jim said sarcastically as he swept the sopping wet mop across the deck. He held a scowl over his features as he slowly walked around and cleaned. Frustration and annoyance clung to his chest as his face remained hard. He had actually been enjoying his time, up in the shrouds, and observing the stars and galaxies they had launched into. He had dreamed of traveling the Etherium almost his entire life! For once, his consistent dismal mood had washed away, a feeling of adrenaline and excitement taking its place. It reminded Jim a little of when he went solar surfing; he could forget about his troubles and frustrations, and just enjoy himself. The Etherium had given him a similar feeling, one where he could just feel like himself again.

"Yeah, I've got your Mr. Mop," the teenager grumbled as he dunked the mop into the pail again, slapping it against the deck not a moment later. Silver hadn't seemed cruel at all when he gave Jim the job. In fact, he had seemed quite cheerful as he jokingly tossed the bucket and mop to Jim, laughing at his own joke. Still, Jim couldn't help but be a bit annoyed about it. 

Jim's thoughts were interrupted when he felt something large and heavy bump into his arm. He was hit with such force that it sent him stumbling backwards. He managed to stop himself by grabbing the ship's rail from behind him, and looked up with shock and bewilderment. Jim almost jumped back when he saw what, or who, had bumped into him. He swallowed nervously as a giant alien turned to him, four arms tensed and fists clenched. Hands puffed out his two chests for a moment, an angry grimace over his features. His skin color was a grey-ish green, but his face was bright red. Jim couldn't tell if it was because he looked angry, or if he always looked like that, but it made him nervous. 

"Watch it, _twerp_ ," Hands growled lowly, making Jim flinch. He clenched his teeth for a moment before turning back around in a huff.

Jim was still for a moment, trying to keep himself from quaking at the sudden sense of fear he was feeling. He swallowed again and gathered himself, standing up straight again and pulling the mop closer. He frowned and began to mop again, but slower, and his posture was more tense. He lowered his head a little, but his eyes began glancing everywhere around him. Whereas he had been watching the deck he mopped previously, now he was taking in his surroundings. For the first time, he started to observe the crew, and he quickly felt uncomfortable. They looked shady and untrustworthy, and several of them talked in hushed whispers in a corner. He frowned deeper when they looked up, almost startled to see them observing him, and tried to look away, as if he was just mopping. 

"What are you lookin at, weirdo?" one of the aliens asked, crossing his arms. He had tentacles that slid down his head, serving as hair, and a bandana over the top of his head. He had permanent scowl lines on his face, and his eyes looked black and cold. 

Suddenly, his arms moved, sliding a little lower across his chest, and eyes blinked open and stared at him. Jim jumped back a little, slightly disgusted and surprised, as he uncrossed his arms and a face appeared. At the same time, the head suddenly stood on his tentacles, and walked down his own shoulder and onto the barrel beside him. The head and body, apparently, were two separate aliens, Jim realized. He tried not to look to shocked as the both of them glowered at him. 

"Yeah, weirdo," the body agreed with a cruel chuckle, placing a hand on his hip and smirking.

Jim shuddered a little and did his best to ignore them, turning a little and mopping. He almost expected one of them to call him out, but luckily, they left him alone. After a few moments, however, the teenager felt a presence lingering above him, dark and dangerous. He heard a quiet hiss, and his shoulders tensed. When he heard small clicks and clatters of something crawling towards him from above, he couldn't stop himself anymore and quickly looked up. The boy immediately jumped and began to back up a little bit as a giant, spider like alien reached the deck and raised himself to his full height, towering over Jim.

The spider stared him down for a moment, his cold yellow eyes just narrowing slightly as his lip curled upward. The two said nothing for a moment, trapped in a silent but deadly battle of standing tall. Jim swallowed and tried not to cower, even though he had to admit, out of all the strange aliens he had seen over the years, this one was definitely the most terrifying. The red alien had such a creepy, disproportionate body, legs crawling out of a large abdomen back. His arms were almost like another set of legs, but shorter and with giant pinchers at the end, sharp and deadly. This alien didn't wear much, just a simple, thin piece of cloth with holes for his arms and his middle showing. He also wore a plain bandana over his head, and bands over his wrists. There were also a few sets of jewelry pieces around his long, angled legs, and a pendant on his clothing. As the spider leaned in closer, trying to intimidate Jim, the boy noticed a scar running down one corner of his mouth. He almost curiously asked what that was there for, but remembered what kind of situation he was in. 

Jim gripped the mop harder, his knuckles whitening a little. "You want an introduction or something?" he finally asked, his voice hard and annoyed. He prayed that his voice wouldn't start to quiver later as he swallowed again, losing the staring contest and glancing away out of nervousness. Whoever this guy was, Jim felt intimidated by him, and he didn't like it. 

The spider narrowed his eyes further, and leaned down a little. Jim gasped a little and flinched back, cursing at himself, but not wanting to get too close. "No need for introductions, cabin boy," the creature hissed finally. His voice was low, raspy, and very threatening. It slithered like a snake out of his mouth and coiled around Jim's head, making him shudder. This one was an alien to be feared. "Simply feel the need to teach you a lesson."

The teenager felt a chill go up his spine. Still, he tried his best to be defiant, taking the mop and stepping back a little, turning and swabbing a bit of the deck. "What, how to properly mop? I know what I'm doing."

The spider hissed low, his lip curling up further. "Not quite," he said, stepping forward yet again and lowering his head so it was just above Jim's eye level. "Cabin boys," he slithered after a pause, pointing to Jim with his giant pinchers, "should learn to mind their own businessssss." The last syllable hissed out of him like an animal, making Jim increasingly uncomfortable. 

Still, the cabin boy resisted. He smirked with an uncanny mocking attitude, despite how much he felt like he was quivering. "What, you got something you hide, bright eyes?" he asked incredulously, mopping some more.

Jim flinched again when he heard a sharp, low hiss emit from the alien, glancing up at his offender. Almost immediately, he realized he had made a mistake. The dark look that shallowed over the spider's cruel eyes was menacingly threateningly. The pinchers clawed in and out a few times, the muscles tense as the his legs quivered with anger he seemed to be barely holding back. His ugly teeth showed in his grimace, and his red face seemed to turn an even darker shade. The alien took a step forward, and Jim, no longer caring to act tough, jumped back two more. His eyes widened with fear as the spider grew closer and closer. Jim tried to stay back, almost skipping backward to avoid the towering demon that growled as he got closer. However, much to the cabin boy's horror, he felt his back hit the mast. A sheer moment of panic hit him, and he froze.

A cold chill seemed to spread over the ship as the arachnid out-worlder stopped just inches in front of Jim. The teens knees almost buckled as he pressed his back against the mast. As the other leaned his head down so he was just above Jim's face, he felt his muscles lock. His knuckles were white as he gripped the mop tightly, his teeth gritting as he glowered at the alien. No matter how terrified he was, he couldn't bring himself to look away. At this point, he knew none of the crew were coming to help him; he was on his own.

"Maybe your earsss don't work ssso well," the creature snarled, sneering slightly towards the end. He folded his pinchers behind his back, but Jim could still see them clenching. 

Out of instinct, Jim tried to retort back, to say something even more aggravating to this clearly hateful enemy. It was what Jim did often to get people away from him; if people didn't like him, there was no need to act like he liked them. Yet, this was different. This had Jim's heart hammering in his chest like it was life or death, and the only sound that came out of his mouth was a small, embarrassing squeak. The aura that loomed over this one was unlike any other the teenager had rebelled against. He felt unsafe and assaulted; what he wanted more than anything in that moment was to get away. But he also felt stuck. 

The creature was hissing as he got even closer to Jim's face, sneering like a madman, before he jumped slightly, yellow eyes growing wide in surprise. He straightened almost immediately, giving Jim almost immediate relief. The spider growled and pulled away from something, his face returning to it's hard expression. Now that Jim felt like he was in less danger, he was able to take in his surroundings. He straightened himself, still leaning against the mast, and looked to see what had caused the threatening one to retreat a bit. 

Jim was almost surprised to see that it was not a _what_ , but rather a who. It was Silver, no less, who had grabbed Scroop's wrist from behind and pulled him back. Jim couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. For some reason, and he would never want to admit it then, he felt much safer now that Silver was there. Even though, not even a couple hours ago, he had felt threatened and suspicious of him. The Ursid, who glared silently at the spider for a moment, was a welcome presence, and the teenager prayed he wouldn't leave. 

For another few seconds, the cyborg and the spider glared at each other. Silver's yellow eye began to tint red, whirring in and out of focus as he studied the one opposite to him. Then, he grinned coolly, though it did look rather strained, and folded his hands behind his back. His organic eye went half-lidded as he presented a calm manner, though Jim could see the tenseness in his shoulders. The cook walked past the other alien and stepped beside the boy, glancing down at him a moment. Jim fidgeted a little nervously as Silver studied him with his eye, but couldn't deny he was grateful that the man was checking up on him. 

Seeming satisfied, Silver turned his gaze back to the tall one. His smiled placidly and stood straight. Jim almost marveled at how calm he seemed, before realizing his cyborg eye was fully shining red now. "Mr. Scroop," the cyborg eventually said, his deep voice thick with fake nicety. "Would ye like ta inform me what teh problem seem ta be 'ere?" He leaned forward himself a little bit, his lips pursing and flicking his ear expectantly.

The spider -Mr. Scroop, evidently- growled low, but his demeanor had decreased and was much less angry and threatening. "Just teachin' the cabin boy the rules," he slithered, standing up straight and letting his arms fall to his sides. 

"Ah, well," Silver replied with a nod, straightening himself again as well. "Seeing as t'is lad is under my charge, I think I'll be ta one givin him teh rundown, hmm?" 

He said it so evenly it almost fooled Jim, but he just caught the warning tone in his words. He was pleasantly surprised that Silver was acting so protective of him. The two had just barely met, and Jim had made no attempt to be friendly. It almost made him feel bad as he watched Silver defend him. The teen shrunk back a little, which earned a worried look from the Ursid. It only made the boy feel worse. 

"Under your charge?" Scroop said, his tone feigning disbelief. He raised a ridge that served as his eyebrow, lifting his chin as if he were above them.

The motion made Jim uncomfortable, a shudder crawling over his shoulders. He looked away from the spider, no longer caring to glare him down. Silver noticed this as well, and Jim saw his brow furrow slightly for a second. Then, his fake-but-convincing smile returned, and he gently clapped his organic hand on the lad's shoulder. Jim jumped a little, looking up at him for a split second, but quickly realized there was a warm, comforted feeling growing in his chest, so he said nothing. 

"Aye, I'm a personal friend of the Cap'n," Silver replied smoothly, but his smile looked much more forced and his eyes were now glinting dangerously. "She entrusted me ta watch over the lad." He patted the boy's shoulder a few more times, gently and firmly. "So, if ye don't mind," he added, leaning forward as his grin completely disappeared, "let me handle 'im, not yerself." His face was no longer calm and friendly. Silver was issuing out a warning, plain and simple. The cyborg leaned forward, placing his mechanical hand behind his back, and raised an eyebrow at him. His scowl was deep and serious, and his machine for an eye was burning red while starting Scroop down.

Scroop said nothing, only narrowed his eyes and stared back for a few moments. The silence in the air was met with a tense atmosphere, sparking dangerously and making Jim even more nervous. He feared the spider would lash out again anyway, despite the ample warning. However, just before things got worse, a loud, booming voice was heard from the deck.

“What’s all this then?!”

Jim never thought he would have been so relieved to see the stoic, stony first officer. His shoulders relaxed a little as Mr. Arrow firmly marched down the steps, his heavy shoulders swaying. His cold eyes glanced over the scene steadily; most of the deck looked empty, as the crew had all gathered close to the mast to see the drama ensue. This seemed to be all the information Mr. Arrow needed, and his face hardened. The look proceeded to make the crew cringe guiltily, looking away and at their shirked duties.

"Ah, Mr. Arrow!" Silver said loudly before the first officer could utter a word. This made everyone look up, surprised and confused. "Nuttin to worry about, sir, jus' a bit of a chat up here." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, though his organic hand protectively pulled Jim closer to him, and away from Scroop. "T'ough, I imagine we should be gettin' back to our duties, eh?"

The crew, including Jim, stared at the cyborg in silence for a few moments. The cabin boy was not the only one at how Silver brushed the matter aside. Scroop had to look the most confused, but he also looked like he was highly skeptical of the cook now. For a little bit longer, there was an awkward silence. Jim looked away from Silver and up at Mr. Arrow, only to realize that the officer was giving him a hard stare. The teenager flinched a little, like he was in trouble, but then realized that the stare was not angry. Instead it looked like he was a bit concerned.. and waiting? Jim glanced around him for a moment, relieved to see that no one else was looking at him. He figured that the first officer was waiting for him to say something; had he surmised that he had been the one in trouble? Even so, Jim did not want to make a big deal out of it. He wanted to be left alone more than anything, at the moment. He looked back up at Mr. Arrow, almost sheepishly, and shrugged his shoulders with a small shake of his head, hardly noticeable. He hoped he got the message, and a moment later, he was relieved. 

The sturdy man somehow straightened more than he had already been and gave a nod over the whole crew, his stern eyes sliding over all of them. "Do not let me catch you slacking again. You are of no use to the captain if you are not committed!" Without waiting for a reply, he turned and marched away, his hands firmly folded behind his back. 

The crew muttered quiet "aye's" and "yes sir's" before stalking off, their backs to the Ursid and the teenage boy. Scroop was the last to leave, shooting one final, cold glare at Silver before crawling back up the shrouds, hissing as he did so. Jim body relaxed completely when they all left, and he released a small sigh of relief. His grip on the mop loosened, and he watched his knuckles return to their natural color. He stood there in silence for a moment, letting his heartbeat settle and his nerves ease. After a little bit, he realized he still had a pressure on his shoulder. Jim looked up and saw that Silver was, in fact, still there, watching him with a calm face, though his brow was a bit furrowed. The teenager had somehow forgotten he was there; had his presence been that calming? He swallowed and glanced down at the giant hand that was still gently clasping his shoulder.

"Ye alright, lad?" the cyborg finally said, tilting his head. His face contorted into concern now, his thick voice gentle. 

Jim couldn't look away from him, knowing that his expression was mixed with confusion and fear. He finally tore his eyes away, biting his lip and pulling himself together. He shrugged Silver's hand off, though not unkindly. "Yeah," he muttered, now avoiding his eyes. He pulled the mop closer to his chest, sighing and glancing over the deck. 

Silver frowned and glanced up in the direction of Scroop. He muttered something indistinct under his breath, thinking to himself for a moment. Afterwards, he turned to Jim again. "Jimbo," he said softly, his voice holding a bit of a stern sound to it. He took the mop handle in his organic hand and held it firmly. "I gave you a job," he told him, pointing at the mop. His voice was not unkind, or even frustrated. It held an air of parental authority to it.

This caught Jim off-guard, making his heart jump a beat again. A bit of anger flew into him and he forcefully pulled the mop away, stepping back a bit. "Hey, I was doing it, until that _bug-thing_ went off on me!" he shouted, throwing his arms around in exasperation and frustration. He grit his teeth and settled down. A small feeling of regret fluttered in his chest, but he pushed it down. He'd snapped at him for his own reasons.

The Ursid raised an eyebrow, his frown deepening a little. "Easy, lad," he started, his voice slow and stern. For a second, Jim was worried that he had angered him and he was about to get yelled at. However, Silver sighed and relaxed his shoulder, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, Jimbo, I wasn't tryin' ta say that ye were bein' lazy." He looked around, noting that the crew was beginning to part ways. Frowning, he shook his head and turned back to the cabin boy. "Just try not ta get distracted again, eh?" He gave Jim a small, apologetic smile. 

Jim frowned still, but his eyes softened a little. "Yeah, whatever," he mumbled, turning to begin mopping again. As he shoved the mop into the pail to wet it, he glanced around himself. Indeed, the crew were all beginning to leave, having finished their chores. Somehow, not being able to see where they were made him even more unsettled, and he involuntarily shuddered. 

Silver must have noticed this. He had begun to leave himself, seeing as Jim had turned to do his work, but had stopped again. "Unless ye would rather come down to the galley wit' me?" he offered, his voice laced with kindness and empathy. "I'm sure I could find somet'in for you to-"

"No," Jim interrupted, turning to look at him with a hard glare. He almost surprised himself with his response; it was not as if Jim had wanted to do this job in the first place. Silver had just helped him, and was being rather kind. A lot of Jim's former doubt about the cyborg had left him, but perhaps there was still that little lingering piece of doubt. The main reason he wanted to stay up and work, however, was a feeling of needing to prove himself. Which, as of late, was not something Jim had felt the need to express to anyone. It made him feel a little uncertain, and a little bad at snapping at him. He glanced away for a moment, but when Silver didn't leave, he looked up again, his face less hard. "I can do it. I'll stay up here and finish."

Silver blinked, but then a broad smile spread over his face. The cheerful demeanor almost instantly made Jim feel a little better. The cook stepped forward and clapped Jim on the back gently with his metal hand. "Good lad! I'll come and check up on ye in a bit." His little pet, Morph, chirped a little at his master's side. Silver peered up at him with a grin, raising a finger for him to perch on. "Morphie, why don't ye stay here, keep Jimbo company?" he asked, winking at him.

Jim couldn't help but let a small smile slip as the pink blob mock saluted with a tiny "aye aye!" and zipped over to the teenager's side. Morph flew up to his shoulder and perched there, purring comfortably and giving him a wide, excited smile. As Silver walked away, Jim lifted his hand to give the little guy a quick pet, rubbing his finger under his chin. He turned and watched Silver leave for a little bit, thinking to himself. He turned and shrugged slightly, getting back to his work.

_He seems alright... for the most part._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silver: I don't know this lad but I'mma protect 'im.


End file.
